In a newspaper column published a few years ago by an intern at Environment Probe, the attack was much more personal, dismissing the human-rights argument outright and saying, “Maybe we shouldn’t leave the destiny of our water in the hands of a 13-year-old.” She has been called a “Trojan horse” that is being used by CUPE and the council to front a political campaign disguised as an environmental initiative.

But Robyn Hamlyn, now 17 and very much able to fight for herself, is nonplussed.

“Water is my life,” she says. “To function we need water. And I want to make a difference. Besides,” she adds. “the Trojan horse won the war, didn’t he? So it’s a pretty good nickname, isn’t it?”

This story is part of Headwaters, a series on the future of our most critical resource.